If you loveoutdoor activitiesandbeautiful scenery, you simply must visit Norway. With it’s lush mountains and stunning fjords, Norway is one of the most naturally beautiful places we’ve ever seen.
This post contains compensated links.
How Much Does a Trip to Norway Cost?
If you are planning a trip to Norway on a budget, there’s one small problem… according to a recent study by the World Economic Forum, Norway is the5th most expensive place in the world for tourists to visit!
After spending 3 weeks there, we can confirm that the cost of a trip to Norway is expensive. We visited Norway on a budget and are able to share some of the easiest ways to save money in Norway:
9 Tips to Save Money in Norway
1. Walk Everywhere in Norway
Walking instead of taking a taxi or subway in Norway makes sense for so many reasons:
Oslo is such abeautiful cityand it’s ajoy to walk its streetsand discover its many treasures. Oslo is a reasonably compact city and most attractions can be easily walked to.
Many of the top things to do in Oslo are in a cluster and can all be reached on foot within 30 minutes or less. Even the further afield attractions such as Vigeland Park can be reached by walking from Central Oslo in under an hour.
Secondly, walking certainly helps visiting Norway on a budget. For example, an Oslo taxi from Vigeland Park to the Oslo Opera House will cost approximately $20-35 USD (170-300 NOK) each way, depending on traffic.
Even the Oslo subway is expensive, with each adult ticket costing approx. $6.75 (55 NOK) nd child tickets costing $3.50 (28 NOK). The simple act of walking could could save a family of three traveling in Norway between $34 – $70 USD per day.
And finally, walking is always a great idea early in your trip to Norway as it helps you get the lay of the land and find good restaurants, grocery stores etc.
2. Buy an Oslo Discount Attraction Pass
Another easy way to save money traveling in Norway is to buy a discount attraction pass. Discount cards entitle you to free or discounted entry to major attractions and sometimes even public transportation. The key is to look at the things to do in Oslo and compare the cost of buying the pass vs. paying for the things you want to do individually.
The Oslo Pass is a great option for visitors to Oslo on a budget. The Oslo Pass offers free admission to over 30 museums and attractions, free public transportation and discounts at top restaurants.
We used a 24-hourOslo Pass and saved $42 USDin admission and transportation costs. For full details on how we saved money in Oslo, seeour review of the Oslo Pass.
3. Self-Cater in Norway
When you travel to Italy, eating Italian food is an integral part of the experience, so you really have to eat out at Italian restaurants a lot. This is not true when you travel to Norway… no offense to Norweigan cuisine, but you won’t be missing an integral cultural experience if you self-cater in Norway.
Despite Norway being one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit, we actually spent less per day on food in Norway (~$40USD/day) than we did traveling to Italy (~45USD/day).
Buying groceries and cooking our own meals in our vacation home rentals really helped us travel to Norway on a budget.
4. Rent a Vacation Home Rental
Vacation home rentals (like Airbnb and VRBO) are an excellent accommodation option for traveling families. We love to rent vacation homes as:
- Kids can have their own bedrooms – giving you some privacy at night and the kids a better sleep than they’d get at a hotel.
- Laundry facilities mean you canpack lessclothes for your trip to Norway
- You canavoid expensive Norwegian restaurants and save money on food by cooking your own meals.
- As a bonus, apartment rentals in Norway are often cheaper than an equivalent hotel.
We stayed at five different vacation home rentals during our family trip to Norway. Find a great Airbnb for your family with these great tips.
5. Stay Outside the City Center
Oslo and Bergen both have really good public transportation. You can save money in Norway by renting a place outside of the city center. Just make sure you are within walking distance to a Metro or Light Rail station.
For example of how we reduced our Norway travel cost, we saved money on our accommodations by renting apartments in Oslo, Bergen and Alesund just slightly outside the city center and walked or took public transportation.
6. Find Free Things To Do
Norway is one of themost beautiful countries in the world. Chances are good you want to travel to Norway to enjoy the outdoors, which is great news as Norway is bursting at the seams with amazing, free things to do.
You can save tons of money in Norway by going for ahike, awalk along the ocean, go to a park or a playground, walk on the roof of the Oslo Opera House, etc.
The vast majority of the things we did traveling in Norway were free. Many of these free things to do were our favorite experiences as we came to Norway to relish in its natural beauty.
If you’re curious about the free stuff we did in Oslo, check out our5 days in Oslo with kids.
7. Skip the Floibanen Funicular
The Fløibanen Funicular is a fun 8-minute funicular ride in Bergen to a viewpoint 320 meters above sea level. The views from above are the main reason it’s one of the top things to do in Bergen.
You can save money in Bergen by skipping the funicular ride and hike to the topinstead. Not only will hiking up Mt. Floyen save you money, but the 1 hour hike to the top will give you adecent workout, greatforest andocean views, and a well-earned sense of satisfaction at the top.
See more about why we loved Bergen with kids.
8. Cluster Your Attractions
In each Norwegian city you will find clusters of attractions. Save money on transportation by visiting all the things to do in each area in a single visit.
9. Rent Cars Only When Necessary
It’s easy to get around Norway without a rental car, sorent oneonly if you are going somewhere not easily serviced by rail or plane. Traveling bytrain in Norwaywas one of ourfavorite experienceson our trip, and they sometimes have special family friendly cars.
Did you know the train from Oslo to Bergen is considered one of the world’s most scenic train rides?
We were also surprised to find it’s reasonably affordable tofly domestically within Norway, so don’t rule it out as an option until you actually look into the cost.
Lastly, it’s not exactly cheap, but if you want to choose one splurge in Norway, a trip on aHurtigruten ferrythrough the fjords is a solid choice. You don’t need to book an entire expedition – you can book a shorter port-to-port trip as we did.
The scenery you get on the Hurtigruten is worth the price!
Norway is Worth It
In closing, don’t let the potential high cost of traveling to Norway scare you off – you can still travel to Norway on a budget. With these easy tips you can easily save tons of money and make your trip to Norway more affordable.
In the end, you will find Norway is more expensive than most destinations, but it is worth every single Krone!
More Norway with Kids
- Geiranger, Norway with Kids
- Top 5 Things to do in Alesund with Kids
- How to Pack for Norway with Kids
Found this post helpful? Pin It For Later!
Celine Brewer
+ posts
Celine Brewer is a dedicated family travel blogger with a profound passion for helping families create unforgettable adventures together. Her blog blends captivating travel narratives with practical tips for family-friendly destinations and enjoying active travel with kids. As a mother of two, she understands the unique challenges of traveling with children and offers valuable insights to empower parents.
When Celine isn't traveling with her husband and two kids, she's either working on one of her three travel sites (Family Can Travel, Baby Can Travel and Travel Banff Canada) or out enjoying the majestic Canadian Rockies her family calls home.
